Life-preserver.



T. HIMLE. Lm RESERVER. APPLICATION .FILED JUNE 28,1913.

Patent Aug. 25, MM@

2 SHEBTS'SHEET l.

T. HMLE. LIFE PRESBRVER. APPLICATION HLED JUNE 23,1913.-

Pateute Aug. 25, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

MJ M

wwwwoec .ed to the coat the THRSTEN EMULE, OF SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA.

LIFE-PRESERVER,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 25, i914..

Application filed .lune 28, 1913. Serial No. 776,328.

To c25 fao/icm it may concern;

Be it known that I, THoRsTmN HUILE, a citizen oi. the United States, residing at Santa Rosa, in the county of Sonoma and State of California, have invented certain newand useful improvements in Life-Preservers, of which the following is a specification.

-'l.`his invention relates to improvements inlife preservers, and more particularly to life preservers in the form of a garment adapted to lit the wearer, the garment comprising a coat, trousers, helmet and gloves, the coat having the helmet and loves attached thereto or formed integra ly therewith, the trousers being detachably connectaround the bottom thereof through the medium et specially devised water tight fastening means to be herein after fully described.

A further object of the invention contemplates the provlsion of a plurality of waterproof and air tight compartments or balls which, when inflated render the garment buo ant and sustain the wearer upon the surfiice oi the water.

A still further object oi the invention resides in the provision of means inthe nature of a belt adapted to be formed upon the coat and trousers for fastening the two together, i he belt when properly fastened efiecting a water tight connection therebetween, the water and air tight compartments being disposed adjacent the waist line of and within the garment to protect the wearer against excess pressure that would otherwise be manifest were the water allowed to force arment inwardly and against the body. Tie invention still further residesl in the provision oi a life preserver of the character described, wherein the wearer, while sustained upon the surface of the water will have free easy and full use of his limbs, especially formed fastening means to be hereinafter termed garters, being disposed upon the trousers to prevent the air within the garment from entering and collecting within the shoes or .toot space thereo'l.

The above and additional objects are ae complished by such means as are illustrated in their preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, described in the iollowing speciiication and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims .fornling a part of thislapplication.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views and in which:

Figure l is an elevation illustrating the application of the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged 'longitudinally extending view of the belt or fastening means employed in connection with my invention; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the means empl oyed for locking the belt sections together; Fig. 4- is an enlarged elevation of the air tight compartments or balls employed to sustain the garment upon the surface of the water; and Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of the casing within which the balls are arranged.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein is illustrated, the preferred form of ymy invention, the numeral l'designates a coat in its entirety, the said coat having sleeves 2 projecting therefrom and a helmet 3 secured thereto, the latter being stitched or otherwise fastened as at 4 below the collar of the said coat l. Gloves 5 are secured in any suitable wai-y or manner to the sleeves 2, thus protecting the hands of the wearer in the water yet permitting the use thereof when desired.

A casing 6 is adapted to be detachably secured within the coat l oi the .garment through the medium oi" cords 7, secured thereto, the latter adapted to pass through openings 8 iormed within the casing along the lower edge thereof, the upper edge of the casing having flaps 9 secured thereto provided with button holes 10 adapted to be arranged over buttons not shown) disposed upon the interior of the coat, the latter With the grooves 7 supporting the casing (5 in the desired manner near the waist line off the wearer. Water tight compartments or balls 11 are arranged in series within the easing 6, the said balls when inflatedv adapted t0 render the garment buoyant to sustain the wearer upon the surface ol the water. By providing ay plurality or series oi' water tight compartments, the puncture ol. one, will not destroy the buoyancy oi' the garment or materially effect its eiliciency or sustaining properl ies.

Secured to the base or bottom of the coat l 'upon the interior thereof, is a band or belt section l2 groovedexteriorly for the purpose of receiving a" second belt section 13 likewise secured upon thevtop oruupper edge of the trousers l-l of the garment, the second belt. section 13 heilig shaped to conform to the laintiguration of the section 12 for effecting ar water-tight connection between the coat and the trousers of the wearer when the said trouser section is arranged over thel coat section of the beltand within the groove. formed therein. .ik lever l5 is pivotally l"ecured aS at lli, nca r one extremity ot' the lower trousers belt section 1243, and is employed for the purpose of fastening the said belt section tightly over the coat belt section l2, a lever being further pivoted as at 17 to thc. opposite extremity of the belt section i3 from that. of its pivot point 16, this ar angement causing the two extremities of the said section to overlap, as is clearly shown in llig. 3 of the drawings, the lever 1'5 when forced into engagement with the exterior or outer face of the belt is adapted to lock the extremities of the belt section togetheand the entire seetion over the belt section '12 of the coat. A flap 18 may be arranged over the meeting ends of the belt section 12 to further render the connection therebetween waterproof.

To prevent the air within the garment from collecting in its lower portion of the trousers 1l, garters designated in their entirety by the numeral 19 have been provided, the said garters comprisinga non-elastic strap 20 secured upon the exterior of the trouser legs 14 terminating in a hook member Q l adapted to catch an elastic strap l likewise secured eXtcriorly of the trouser leg, (bis arrangement of the garter seri ion drawing the trouser legs together and closing conuriunication between the upper and lower portions thereof. The garter is preferably disposed between the knees and the feet of the, wearer.

Au opening Q3 is formed within the helmet :E through which the face of the wearer is exposed, the material of which the helmet is composed causing the edges of the opening to lie tight against the face of the wearer and thus prevent the entrance of water in the interior of the garment. A light 24 may be arranged upon the top of the'helmet 3 and supported thereupon through the mediui i of a hanger strap 25, the latter adapted to normally lit beneath the chin of the wearer and, when thrown back over the head as is illustrated by the dotted lines in llig. 1, to cut off the elect-rie circuit. necessary -for the light. this being accomplished by constructing the said band in a manner suitable for the purpose. to which it is designed.

Pockets 26 and 27 may be arranged ex teriorly of ther garment, the former above the waist line and the. latter below.. one of the pockets being provided as a lunch receptacle and the other for a water bottle, thereby enabling the wearer of the suit to partake thereof when necessary.

I-Iavir,` Vescribed fully, the construction of the garment, it now remains to set forth the manner in which the same is applied. 'lhe coat 1 is iirst slipped over the head, the arms of the wearer tilting within the sleeves 2 and the handsl within the gloves 5 provided therefor, the head passing up into the helmet 3 where the face is exposed through the opening Q3 formed therein, the elasticity of the coat or material of which the garment is composed permit-ting the head of the wearer to enter the helmet 3 in the desired manner. After arranging the c at over the body as above described, the wearer then steps into the trousers 14 whereupon the garters 19 arc fastened, and the belt comprising the seetions 1,2 and l?, arranged one over the other, in which event a water tight connect-ion is formed between the trousers 14 and the coat l, this being accomplished by the manipula4 tion of the lever 15 provided for that purpose. f v

It will be seen fromv the above, taken in connection with the accompanying draw ings, that the casing 6 may be detached from the coat l of the garment as occasion demands; that the limbs of the wearer can be moved as desired; and that the light upon the head' or top of the helmet will attract attention at night time should the wearer become exhausted or fall asleep.

Dry batteries are arranged Within the interior of the garment for supplying the power necessary to the operation 0f the light 24.

In reduction to practice, I have found that the form of my invention, illustrated v in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most etlicient and practical; yet realib ing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of luy-device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be, resorted to, when required, without sacriA icing any of the advantages of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Il aving thus fullv described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a life preserver, the. combination with a coat and trousers, of an undivided non-yielding eircumfercntially grooved belt section upon said coat, a yieldable divided circuinferentially grooved belt section upon said trousers, the latter section adapted to circuinierentially inclose the said first section, and means carried by one of said sec tions operable to draw the said section tight upon the other of the said sections to effect a water tight joint between the coat-and trousers, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a life prcserver, the combination with a coat andtrousers, of a belt section upon said coat, a divided belt section upon said trousers, the latter' section adapted to circumferentially inclose the said first section, vand means pivoted to one of the terminals of the said second section and con- 4nected tothe other terminal of the said second section, operation of said means adapted to draw said second section tight upon said first section to effect a Water tight joint between the coat and trousers, as and for the purpose'set forth.

3. In a life preserver, the combinationl With a coat and trousers, and buoyant means carried thereby, of a circumferentially grooved one piece belt section upon said coat, an expansible belt section, correspondingly grooved, secured to said trousers, and means including a lever operable to draw said seca pair of renfovable casings adapted to be disposed upon the interior of the coat near the waist line thereof, a plurality of in. Hated air tight containers adapted to be arranged within the said casing, a grooved belt section secured to the said coat at the base thereof, a second belt section adapted to conform to the configuration of the said first mentioned belt section secured to the top of the said trousers, the said last mentioned belt section adapted to overlap the said first mentioned belt section for effecting a water tight connection therebetween, a lever pivotally connected to the said last mentioned section adapted to clamp the said section over the said first mentioned section, and means including a pair of adjustable garters arranged exteriorly upon the legs of the trousers, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THORSTEIN HIMLE. /Vitnesses:

O. OPLAND, Mrs. O. OPLAND. 

